[023] - action

[herotypical]

[Buffy sits, quite quietly, on the riverbank near the bridge where she had been taken. Returned now, she looks to be unharmed. No bruises, no cuts, no blood. In a lot of ways she looks as though she hasn't even left.

She hugs her knees to her chest and leans her head back, drinking in the crisp autumnal air. The Slayer looks rather approachable this evening. One might even go so far as to say Buffy looks peaceful.]

(ooc; Back from hiatus and back to my regular scheduled posting. Except a minor dip in tagging over the weekend, though. Going on a small excursion during the days.)

Comments

[the-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

[Fortunately, Wesley always carries his journal with him, in his knapsack, and he pulls it out. A little thumbing through brings him to the page where Buffy's mallynapping was captured, and he holds it out to her.]

This was recorded by your journal a week ago.

[herotypical]

[She reads it, but looks unconvinced.]

Don't you think it sounds a little more sensible for these science guys to fabricate an entry than actually get all meddley with my mind?

[the-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

They've not fabricated an entry yet, as we know. However they do scramble the memories of those they have taken.

Do you recall your dream?

[herotypical]

Dream?

[Clearly, she doesn't.]

[the-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

Your dream.

[He flips one page earlier and shows her the entry before that, the one where she was on the bridge.] You were thinking about it, here. You told me about it. That you dreamed of machines, feared it was an omen to a kidnapping.

You don't recall this in the least?

[herotypical]

[Her face is set in an uncomfortable expression. It wasn't a pleasant experience, to be shown things of yours that you have no recollection of creating. And sure, she remembers the bridge. It's where she had been enjoying her week, after all. But she doesn't remember the rain or the dreams or the machines.]

I'm sorry--[Buffy finally stammers out, shaking her head.]--I don't remember any of that happening.

[the-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

[Wesley carefully takes his journal back, obviously thinking hard as he puts it back in his bag, and then speaks slowly.]

I know . . . from personal experience, that dealing with tampered memories is very difficult.

[herotypical]

Tell me about it. I'm tired of my memories being treated like a kaleidoscope. [Not that she truly believes they've been tampered with this time, but this approach is easier than a headstrong argument.]

[the-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

[He might've smiled just there.] Regular job hazard, in this line of work. What we've done, our experiences and memories of them, define who we are. I would imagine there's nothing that feels quite so powerful as changing someone's memory to make them whomever one desires.

[herotypical]

[Because the instance with Angel is still a little unclear for her, she pops in a different anecdote.]

Shortly before she--you know--went all dark side, Willow was getting her wicca on with memory charms. Things were...not much with the good.

[the-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

Understandably. It's a dangerous sort of magic.

When Angel signed on to Wolfram and Hart one of the, er, benefits was a blanket memory alteration that wiped Connor from all of our minds, and gave him a new life, with new memories.

[herotypical]

[Even more frowny faced than before.] Angel's fond of the memory alteration, isn't he?

[Bitter? Her? Okay, just a bit.]

[the-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

Is he? [Wes doesn't know about any other occasions.]

I understand why he did it. That's not to say that I'm not upset with him, nor that I think he did the right thing, but I understand what he did.

[herotypical]

I never learned until coming here--but there's apparently a whole chunk of time that he bargained out of my memory with the Powers. And then again, with you guys? Mucho arrogant, if you ask me. Like he has the right to decide who or what belongs in our memories.

[the-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

[Wesley takes a long few moments to absorb this.]

He has a habit of thinking . . . perhaps not for himself, but for his own priorities first, without taking into consideration the points of view of those his decisions affect.

[herotypical]

[Remaining firmly silent, she gives her simple agreement with a nod. Angel was such a particular case, with her.]

[the-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

[Wesley isn't just thinking about the memory spell, now.]

I would suggest he has a difficultly with empathy, but he seems to connect sometimes . . .

[herotypical]

Oh, he can connect. Just--[Buffy sighs.]

I've wondered for a long time about why Angel is the way he is. Why he makes decisions without consulting anyone else, why he just leaves without saying goodbye--why he still somehow manages to treat me, of all people, like a useless schoolgirl. And I think he's just still from such a different time, y'know. All ye olde and lacking in the modern sensibilities.

[the-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

I think that might cover some elements, but speaking as someone who was brought up with, as you say, "all ye olde and lacking in the modern sensibilities," I don't think that really covers the heart of the matter.

From the same point of view, I will agree that what Angel sees as gentlemanly behavior and respect for women may come off to someone in your generation as a lack of respect.

[herotypical]

Not just a lack of respect, but I think he sometimes forgets that I'm the Slayer. Or, at least, one of them.

[the-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

[He's quiet for a moment, and when he continues, he's not just talking about Angel.] A prince may be a soldier but he is still treated by those around him as a prince, first, as a sign of respect. Treating a Slayer as a lady isn't, for that mindset, ignoring her prowess as a warrior so much as acknowledging and respecting that she is a more than just a common soldier.

[herotypical]

[She falls silent to consider this. Buffy looks as though she might come to accept this answer, but isn't keen on admitting it.]

[the-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

[After a while, he continues in a more casual tone:] I may be a unique viewpoint on the matter of feminism, but personally I've never seen, well, politeness toward woman as a sign of disdain, or an assumption of weakness, as feminism seems to assume. Quite the opposite.

[He chuckles suddenly.] I've always wondered if Adam's sin was not eating the apple of knowledge, but rather being such a brutish coward as to shift the blame to his wife. No matter whose fault it might have been. I had a ridiculously long argument with my Religious Studies professor over that point, in fact.

[herotypical]

[She'll blink a bit, but not much seems to sink in. Philosophy, theory, theology? Not her slice of the pie.]

God, Wesley. Most of the time I think--okay, he's changed. He's a cool dude, now. Kicking butt and taking names and doing the competent good guy thing. And then you go and say something like how you had a ridiculously long argument with your Religious Studies professor and all your cool points? They may as well go up in smoke.

[the-ex-watcher.livejournal.com]

[You get a sort-of-laugh, and Wesley leans back a little where he's sitting.]

I'm afraid I'm a hopeless nerd at heart. How did Angelus put it . . . ah, that I could go to the gym and get a new wardrobe but I would always be the kid no one wants to sit with at lunch. [He shrugs.] As failings go, it's not my worst.